E3 Interview: Final Fantasy XIV

After a short break, our E3 coverage continues now with Final Fantasy XIV. A new trailer was shown at our E3 press conference, which we’ve included below. After that, our Jaffa Cake-eating colleague dropped by the Square Enix booth for a quick chat on the console-exclusive PS3 edition of this MMORPG.

So I was just passing through the Square Enix booth at E3 and I noticed a door slightly ajar. I can never resist a slightly ajar door so I poked my head in to find Hiromichi Tanaka, senior vice president of software development, sitting down for a Final Fantasy XIV round table interview. There was a spare seat so I sat down, whistling behind a newspaper, and asked a few questions of my own.

As an extra titbit, there was PC monitor running the game in stereoscopic 3D in the same room, although Tanaka told me that this was purely a technical demonstration and he wouldn’t be drawn when I asked if they had any 3D plans for the PS3 version of the game.

How do you feel about the challenge of developing the first MMO on PlayStation 3?

“We had a similar experience with Final Fantasy XI as that was the first MMO on PlayStation 2 [in Japan only]. So this time, things came quite naturally for us and it helped us having the technology in mind from the very beginning.”

How do you intend to reach out to those console gamers that haven’t experienced an MMO before and are used to more instant gratification in their games?

“Because Final Fantasy XIV is designed as a cross-platform MMO, there is no difference between the PC version and the PS3 version. We believe that previous attempts to bring MMOs to consoles have been unsuccessful because they focused too much on adapting their style to suit that audience and they lost the feel of a true MMO. Therefore, regardless of the platform, we are aiming to produce a real MMO with Final Fantasy XIV.”

“Sony [Computer Entertainment] has been extremely helpful to us, particularly with technical data while we were at the programming stage of development. We’ve also held talks regarding PlayStation Network functionality and we will be making the most of what that offers, integrating trophies and other features.”

“Unfortunately, we haven’t had chance to try it out yet but we’ve heard very interesting things about it and we’d like to look at supporting it in Final Fantasy XIV, if we get the chance to do so. However, at the moment I would say that there are no current plans.”

hmm I’m going to end up playing this on two platforms simply because I like the ability to switch between machines if I feel like it for what ever reason. Did this during FFXI and was one of my favorite aspects of the game. With trophies in play now I’m concerned that my jumping between PC/Laptop/PS3 that I’m going to be missing trophies….. Kind of hoping there is a solution for this or that this new steam integration solves that problem.

Very excited about this game. Jeff would you be able to talk to Square Enix in the future and get some more detailed questions? Things like: When will the PS3 BETA start? Will more races be added before the game is released? Will more classes be added before the game is released? etc…

Chances are they’ll let you link your PC version with your PSN account for Trophies. It woudlnt be that hard, Rockstar already lets you keep track of your PSN awards from their website by account linking.

according to what i know they have plans for k/m support.
i know FFXI had atleast keyboard support and im hoping they will add mouse for those who use it, i never did tho i started on ps2 and when i moved to pc i was so used to ps controller i had to buy one for my pc to play ffxi.

the fee will be monthly like FFXI but the price and axtra charcters fee ect are still under wraps.

PC should start beta by the end of june and sometime afterwards when they feel its ready ps3 wil be added when they go to open beta.

the game is still sheduled for a 2010 release and i believe they will make the deadline

Once this game comes out i wont know of any other game to play. Just like with FFXI, which i spent 3 straight years of my life and even did the beta for PS2, i plan on spending all my time possible playing FFXIV.

I can’t wait to get back into the online MMO world of Final Fantasy. I had always enjoyed getting online and meeting up with the same people i had become friends with while playing the game and leveling up together with. I look forward to that connection again and this time since we have mics i think it might be even better to be able to talk to those friends while partying instead of typing.

For those of you who think that playing an MMO would not be any fun, i say give it a chance at least for a month and see how you like it. See how many friends you could make playing the game and such.

@27 – FF Versus XIII is being made by Nomura’s FF Team NOT Tanaka’s. Tanaka’s Team does XI and XIV on their own and they don’t share staff.

@ Everyone else. You can use keyboard but the games designed from the beginning even on PC to be more comfortable and faster when using the PS Controller. You’d be limiting yourself to play on the Keyboard and Mouse.

Wait, did the interviewer say that FFXI only came out on ps2 in Japan? What? What the heck have I been playing it on for the past 6 years, yes …my ps2… in Canada. Really bugs me when they don’t get their facts straight. Anyways …so excited for FFXIV on PS3!

¤° This game is going to be epic for ps3 MMO players such as myself. WKC is amazing, and I know that FFXIV online will be AWESOME! If they do incorporate the MOVE controllers, it would make me want to play it even more BECAUSE it will be able to follow my own movements. SONY, keep up the amazing work! HOME RULES!°¤

Riiight. Adapting a game for a specific platform is the reason FFXI failed on the PS2. Not the absence of an HDD and modem. By all means, ignore the fact that the control schemes and infrastructure between PS3 and PC are different, because THAT will make it more appealing.

I’ve noticed that a lot of Squeenix interviews are ridiculously short in length and details. To this day, they have yet to post on the Blog, and they continue to short-change us at every turn (MINUTES after the last E3, they outright stated that this wasn’t necessarily a PS3 exclusive). I’m telling you right now: don’t expect Versus XIII to be exclusive- they haven’t done us a single favor since the PS3 launched, and I don’t expect they’ll be starting now.

With Capcom being sellouts with refusing to bring Monster Hunter to PS3, I’m really hungry to get into a MMORPG, and FF14 would certainly be the one that gets me into it. My only problem that’s going to hold me back is the monthly subscription. I’m just not into paying $15 a month to play a game on top of the $60 to buy it. If it were like $5 a month I’d be all over it. They really should go with a micro-transaction model, especially for PS3. I’m hoping they have some kind of deal for the subscription, then I’d be interested…..like a $100 one time purchase card for like 12 or 13 months of access. Otherwise it’s just too much for me. I have other games to buy too ya know, along with having real life bills. I shouldn’t have to be rich to be able to play this game.

I’m registered for the PS3 beta, so hopefully I get in and it’s good enough and hooks me well enough to convince me to pay-2-play. But they REALLY need to have a one time price for a certain amount of time access. Like I said, $100 TOPS for at least a year, and preferably less. $13-15 a month subbscription fees are the reason I’m not already a MMORPG player. It’s just FAR too much.

@41,
FFXI Online was 5$ monthly per character slot… We’ll just have to wait and see what they’re doing this time, but – from what I know about it so far – they’re focusing more on playing one character, except I still don’t completely know how their system works…

@perrandy: micro-transaction refer to buying something for your character with real money. ever play maple story? or some other online game? that what micro-transaction does. if you still don’t get it, then go look up World of Warcraft

@39 you will get a email when they start the ps3 beta, i to brought FF13 an sign up for beta, don’t really now if ill buy because i don’t really like paying to play a game (main reason why i don’t play WOW anymore, will that an i prefer a ps3 controller over a keyboard)

@42 i used to play WOW an i still never just played that only, i played my ps3 more an WOW is fun but i like to change games to keep things fresh an i get bored real easy if i play 1 game for over a week, well at least the only game i played for a long time was GTA series

also i played FF11 or 12, can’t remember which one is online but anyway i hated it, an im mad that square is wasting there time with the other FF13 spin offs an should be working on a new kingdom hearts, we got FF13 already an we about to get FF14 online, screw agro or what ever the stupid FF13 spin offs are called

oh an i forgot to mention this in other post but im never playing WOW again until it comes out on ps3

I wished Square Enix would just hurry up with with FFXIII versus instead of fooling around. The fact that we had to wait so long for FFXIII which turned out to be non exclusive and a mediocre in the end, has punished us enough already :? And I’m sorry but next to the amount for paying the game I’m not paying for online gaming. PlayStation gives us the option to play online for “free” and I’d like that opportunity to stay free.

@Jeff, how come I can’t log in on here via Firefox while Internet Explorer is showing the blog as a complete mess?